1. Field of the Invention
The device and method of this invention resides in the area of visual displays and more particularly relates to a device and method for producing a visual three-dimensional impression and/or real image directly observable by a viewer without the use of 3-D viewers or 3-D glasses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many devices yielding a three-dimensional-like image such as a hologram or 3-D viewers are known in the art. Some of these devices require two images which are observed by the viewer through a stereo viewer which recomposes the two images into an apparent three-dimensional image. The Applicant in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,896,150 and 5,072,215 has disclosed three-dimensional viewing chambers.
Three-dimensional display devices incorporating rotating flat screens are found in the art, being described in the Schwertz Patent No. 3,154,636 and in the Berlin Patent No. 4,160,973 which devices utilize a planar screen which rotates around an axis being attached to an edge of the screen. These devices use LEDs or discrete electroluminescing areas to make the rotating planar screen generate a two-dimensional image that changes according to its position during rotation. A drawback to such devices is that from any vantage point a dark line forms down the center of the image produced due to the thickness of the screen at a point during its rotating when it is directly facing the viewer. Also, complex electronics are required to compensate for the virtual narrowing and widening of the screen and the related change in perspective as the screen sweeps from its position when its edge is facing the viewer to a position 90 degrees therefrom when the surface of the screen plane is facing the viewer. Rotating curved screens are used in Skellett, U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,238 as a radar display. A spherical spiral screen is used in Perkins, U.S. Pat. No. 3,202,985 also as a radar display.